Magic can't fix everything
by Linneagb
Summary: That's the good thing about magic Harry dear. It can fix almost anything. But I'm afraid it cannot fix what is hurting you so badly. I'm afraid nothing can. I'm sorry. Sick! Harry. One- shot


**So... I had this idea, I love writing sickfics and I've already written loads but I wanted to write a story with Molly taking care of Harry. And… here we go.**

"Here you go dear." I pushed down a few extra sausages on Harry's plate. The poor boy was only skin and bones, now when he was here I needed to give him what he needed- God may know what he'd had to eat from when the school ended in the beginning of July to when he was brought here as much as he had in those four weeks might have been what he had during a day at the burrow. I was afraid that was the truth, I had such a weird feeling in my stomach that Harry was treated worse than he told us on privet drive with those muggles. But Harry wouldn't tell much.

Harry smiled at me and thanked. Now was a couple of days into August, he'd only been here for two days and maybe that was why he still had a bit of a distressed look in his eyes when I gave him food. Just now it seemed clearer than usual though. Yet again I had the feeling there was something Harry wasn't telling me but yet again I just shook the feeling off and continued to put food on the boys' plates.

Harry ate his meal very slowly and I noticed that sometimes his hand seemed to move towards his stomach, but when I asked he claimed to be fine and just continued eating. I was worried and I had a weird feeling the boy wasn't well, but I shook the thought of with thinking that I was probably just being paranoid.

But my worry grew bigger after dinner. Usually Harry would spend the time with the others, play quidditch, play pranks with Percy with the twins, play wizard chess and just hang around. But today he sat in an arm- chair in the living room and watched Ron and the twins play wizard chess. I walked into the kitchen to check with some things and soon I heard the patter of feet and they were too quiet and careful for it to be any of my own boys. I looked up when the patter quieted and saw Harry standing by the table.

"Yes Harry dear?" I asked and stopped what I was doing. The twelve- year- old looked down a bit and nervously pulled his hand through his hair. If possible- making it even more tousled. He started biting his lip. My worried feeling grew even bigger with seeing how nervous he was.

"I… I was wondering i- if I could take a glass o- of water Mrs. Weasley." Harry stuttered. I frowned but smiled softly at him. And while I got a cup out of a cupboard I wondered about why he would be asking about that. I mean- of course he could have a glass of water. He wouldn't have to ask! I poured water in the cup and handed it to the dark- haired child. Smiled softly yet frowned while he drank it, then he walked over to the sink and picked up the brush to start the dishing. I walked over and with a flick on my wand it fell out Harry's hands and started dishing itself.

"You don't have to do that dear. That's the good thing about magic, it can fix almost anything for you." Harry looked up at me with his green eyes. For a second there was something I didn't notice in his eyes. But before I had the time to really study it and put my finger on what it was it was gone again. I laid a hand on Harry's cheek and bent down a bit too look him in the eyes. "Harry dear. Is there something you want to tell me?" He shook his head and looked to the floor, avoiding my eyes. "You know you can tell me anything and everything right?" He nodded, and then silent.

Slowly the child just looked up at me, mumbled a thanks and in the matter of a couple of seconds he was out of the room, my worried feeling grew even bigger as I started preparing for night- supper and then walked to get the children.

"Ron?" I walked out in the kitchen after getting all of my own. "Where's Harry?" Ron shrugged and told me Harry went upstairs to get something. He told me not to worry, that Harry was probably going to be down any time but I still had a weird feeling in my stomach and maybe that was why I made my way up the stairs to Ron's room.

I found Harry in Ron's room, he laid on the extra bed we had put there with one arm and one leg outside, sleeping tightly with his glasses on. My worried feeling grew again but I shook it off with the thought of that the last time must have been exhausting for the young boy. I smiled softly and pulled the glasses of him, lifted his arm and leg up on the mattress and placed my lips on the top of all the pitch- black tousled hair before I quietly left the room and closed the door before walking downstairs again.

Maybe I should have kissed his forehead instead or pulled my hair through the ruffled fringe to feel his forehead- maybe then I would have felt the unusual heat radiating from his skin. Maybe I should have kissed his cheek, or just slightly stroke it, maybe then I would have felt how his cheek was wet and clammy with sweat. Maybe I should have stroke his chin, maybe then I would have noticed how it was shaking cold. Maybe if I would have done one of those things I would have understood what I felt wasn't just a feeling.

And maybe what the feeling was trying to tell me was that I should have. That I should have understood it wasn't just a feeling. That I should have understood I needed to do something. But it took me too long to understand and even by the time I had went to bed, when I heard my Arthur's soft snoring and felt his arms around me I could shake the feeling off completely, but I did my best and then slowly drifted off to sleep.

It wasn't long before I woke up with a start. With a sharp intake of breath my eyes shot open. I grabbed my wand and held it up for a split second for it to send out numbers that told me it was right after three in the morning. And as the house was quiet I couldn't see a reason for me not to try to fall back asleep.

Though that feeling of that something wasn't as it should be had hit me again so I laid awake and just listened to the sounds of the house, the sloth in the attic, the chickens in the garden, the snoring from my sleeping husband and sons, nothing seemed to be different.

I laid my head back to the pillow and turned around, but that was when I heard it again. The sound I just knew what was had been waking me up. It was quiet so if I haven't been listening so clearly after unusual sounds I probably wouldn't have heard it. It sounded like someone being sick but I had learned by the sound of my children being sick to tell who it was- and I didn't recognize this.

"Harry!" I thought out loud and shot up into sitting position. I threw the blanket off and pulled a morning gown on over the pyjamas and then rushed quietly down the hall to the bathroom not to wake anyone up. The door to the bathroom was open but it was dark in there too just as in the hall. Already before I had come into the bathroom I saw the boy through the door- opening and there was no way I could be mistaken with those dark tresses as I pushed the door open and walked into the room.

Harry James Potter sat on his knees in front of the toilet bowl, he had one arm wrapped around his stomach the other one held on the top of the toilet to support him. He didn't seem to have noticed me yet as he continued retching. I took two more steps and then kneeled down by him, when I placed a hand on his back I felt a flinch and he looked up at me.

Those eyes- those beautiful, beautiful green eyes. So like his mother's. But yet so different. Lily Evans- later Potter had been one of the happiest girls and later- woman I had ever known. I had been in my sixth year at Hogwarts when Lily came so the age- difference was quite big. Yet we had grown to be quite good friends and the thing with Lily was that you'd always know what she was feeling at the time. If she was happy she'd show it, if she was angry she'd show, if she was sad or afraid or any other feeling she'd always show it.

But the thing with Lily, she'd never be angry or sad for long. Soon she would be back to smiling and laughing and running around in the way she used to. And her eyes had always held something Harry's so seldom did. They were always sparkling, glittering in that bright, clear green color just because she was happy.

But now when Harry looked to me, with his eyes so filled with pain, so filled with fear, guilt and with tears shining in his green eyes- they were so different from Lily's they could just as well have been like experiencing two different worlds. The young boy looked to me for a moment before he lurched forward and quickly turned to lean over the toilet again. I rubbed circles with my palm towards his back to give the comfort I could and yet felt so far beyond helpless.

"Sch Harry." I comforted with my voice. "It's okay, you're okay. Get it all out Sweetie." Harry lurched forward one last time and then just stayed hanging his head over the bowl taking short and shallow but silent breaths for another few minutes "Are you finished dear? Or do you think that you're going to be sick again?" Harry didn't move at first, then he started talking. His voice light and weak.

"I- I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley." The young male stuttered slightly. "I d- didn't mean t-to wake you up." Harry took a short, shaky breath and then reached up to flush the toilet but didn't quite find the energy to reach all way up and then slumped back, curled into a ball on the floor. "I- I'm really sorry Mrs. Weasley."

I pushed my hand through the thatch of pitch black hair on top of Harry's head, feeling his forehead in the move. The poor thing was burning up and on top of it all now trembling from head to toe. And he had the heart to tell me he was sorry for this. When he was himself feeling worse than I could imagine and so weak he could barely even sit up and he even thought of telling me he was sorry?!

What child would do that? There was no need for him to be sorry! He couldn't help being sick for Merlin's sake! For a moment I was mentally scolding Dumbledore. If he had only let me, but if I had only kept on… I had known it would have been better if I had only stayed to what I believed in already then, already that day just the day after it had all changed….

**Flashback **

"Blood-flavored lollipops" I said callously standing by the griffin portal to the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. I had expected it to be at least another few years before I would show myself at Hogwarts again. My oldest son Bill was starting his first year here next fall. But he and his two oldest younger brothers would never be a problem so I never thought I'd be here at all again- at least not before my mischievous twin boys- who were at the time three and a half years old- would start here.

But things had changed since yesterday. Yesterday had just been a day like any other, only thing special about it was that it also happened to be when Halloween fell in in 1981. It wasn't anything special. Arthur who had always been fascinated by muggles had got a hang of the fact that muggles dressed up at Halloween and so he had went to some muggle store and bought costumes for all of our children- including our youngest- Ginny just over two and a half months old.

We had both- me and my Arthur seen it as an opportunity to just have a bit of a party and eat cake and just be for a while. Forget about everything that had happened lately, and for now several years if so only for a little while. Bill and Charlie had been dressed up as Dragon's, Percy in some silly "wizard's costume" and the twins were dressed up as toads-at last our two youngest- Ron and Ginny were dressed up as pumpkins. And it had worked, for just a few hours we had all just had fun and eaten cake and laughed.

But so, as almost all of the children had fallen asleep in the early evening and I was walking around cradling Ginny so she would fall asleep too when the kitchen suddenly had been lit up with a patronus with a message from Dumbledore. And the silver- phoenix had in short words told me that Lily and James Potter had been found and killed by he- who- must- not- be- named, and- for better or for worse also tried to kill young Harry but not succeeded, leaving Harry an orphan.

I had been sitting in the living room all night, not caring about the happy shouts from the village shouting that you know who is gone and he- who- must- not- be- named shall not be back. Sure I was happy that that was how it was. No one couldn't not be happy for Voldemort's fall- at least no one with a heart. But Lily! James!

And Harry!

I had been sitting there the whole night, hearing the soft snores or breaths from my husband and children who sat around me and with Ginny on my arm. Where I knew I had them all close and safe. I just couldn't bear to move and at first not really knowing what to do- or if there even was something I could do about all of this.

Then it hit me, and the more I thought about it- the better the idea seemed to be. Seven children could just as well be made into eight and even if it would be hard having yet another mouth to feed and everything that goes with it I knew that I couldn't just leave him be.

But where was Harry then?

"Oh… Mrs. Weasley" Professor Dumbledore looked up from a book and closed it slowly when I came in. "oh… looks like I haven't got a chair here." Dumbledore grabbed his wand and flicked with it, making an arm chair appear out of the blue and landed on the floor on the opposite side of the desk from Dumbledore. "Have a seat. What's on your mind today?"

I sat down on the edge of the chair seat and placed my handbag on my lap. Even with the big handbag my arms and lap felt empty without having hold at least one child for such a long while. "I got your message about the Potter's" I silent, I didn't really know how to continue and my voice seemed unsteady and of a tone that reminded me of the times I had to tell my children about what had happened to their uncles.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded slowly. "It's all very sad. And Dumbledore seem to be gone, but I can't tell you for how long." As usual Dumbledore talked partly in riddles, how long? If you were gone it was forever wasn't it? Wouldn't he- just like James, Lily and my brothers amongst others that he or his death eaters be gone forever?

Well, I chose to leave that until later. If Dumbledore didn't know yet then there was no way I could find it out. And even if he so returned in his full power then we'd have to worry about that when it happened. Right now there were more important things to worry about.

"And Harry?" Dumbledore slowly bobbed his head first down and then up again. His clear blue eyes were distressed and I couldn't quite place the look on his face for what it was. "What's going to happen to Harry? Because I was thinking that, Hogwarts is great but it's not a place to grow up and neither James nor Lily had any suiting family... And Sirius…" I silent. Dumbledore looked at me over the frames of his glasses in that way that made me feel like he saw everything about me, but I couldn't stop now.

"I wouldn't think that it would be easy, it's tough with money and everything but if I can take seven then I can take eight. And Harry's about the same age as my Ron, if you'd like to give me a try then… then I would gladly take Harry under my roof." I silent when Dumbledore held up his hands. "Where is Harry now by the way?" Dumbledore silent a long while before he slowly started talking.

"Tonight, I, professor McGonagall and Hagrid brought Harry to the only family he's got left. His aunt and uncle." My stomach clenched, Lily hated her sister. That would be no good place for her baby! Dumbledore seemed to understand what I was thinking and spoke again.

The room fell silent again. I wanted to say something but I didn't really know what. "Are you sure about this Dumbledore?" I beat myself up mentally for talking against him but it had slipped out before I had had the time to stop it. "I mean… Lily and her sister didn't get along and… and maybe it would be better for Harry to grow up with people of his own kind."

"I don't think that a child should grow up in a world where everyone knows his name and his story." Dumbledore's voice was calm and steady like always. "It's better for him to grow up somewhere where people don't question something he can't even remember." The room fell silent again, maybe Dumbledore was right. "I think this will be the best for him, don't worry Molly, I have explained it to the Dursley's and in ten years we will see him again."

Dumbledore was just as convincing as he always was.

And I believed in him

When I walked out of the Hogwarts castle and towards the gate to get where I would be able to apparate myself back to the burrow. It had started getting dark early in the evening and even if it wasn't actually dark outside yet a few stars had started to light up the skies. Just as I walked through the gates from Hogwarts ground and got ready to apparate I looked up, and just as I apparated I saw a shooting star.

And from the burrow I could see it continue to fall until it disappeared into the night skies.

I would make sure all of my children were safe, that was why as I closed my eyes I didn't pray for that as I usually did. "Dear star" I whispered under my breath. "If it's true that you can make wishes come true, then please make sure that Harry Potter is safe where he is. And that he's treated well."

**End of flashback **

I pulled myself back to reality and pushed my hand through Harry's dark thatch again. He was still curled up in a ball on the floor and had barely moved- except for talking to beg for my forgiveness for the last few minutes. "Hush dear." I said as softly as I could. "Don't say you're sorry, it's not your fault. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

I gently grabbed Harry's arms and supported him when he got onto his feet and then walked, half supporting on his own feet, and half leaning towards me down the stairs towards the living room. "You'll have to stay the rest of the night in the living room okay dear?" Harry nodded. "Otherwise we'll wake Ron up."

"I threw up in bed." Harry whimpered and looked to me. "I'm really sorry for that Mrs. Weasley, but I woke up feeling so sick and I didn't really have the time to get to the bathroom at first. I'm really sorry." I shushed gently and stroke his hair comforting. It would be easy to fix with magic and I would never blame Harry for being sick.

However- seeing how miserable Harry was I couldn't beat myself up enough for not standing up for the feeling I had that day in Dumbledore's office, maybe I could have- maybe I could have convinced Dumbledore that it wouldn't be good for Harry to live with his aunt and uncle. I had had such a strong feeling that he wouldn't be treated well- and my gut feeling had never been wrong before!

Maybe if I had just kept an eye on Harry, maybe if I had just… there might have been a thousand different things I could have done and Harry wouldn't have had to feel like he did tonight ridden by guilt of something that I would never have ever blamed him four- even though it seemed that someone else had used to.

"Harry." I stroke his hair and placed a bucket on his lap and then sat down by him in the sofa while stroking his arm. I felt terrible for doing it but maybe I could take advantage of his vulnerable state and he would tell me why he was so afraid of doing wrong. "Is there any certain reason that you're scared for me to get angry for you for this?"

Harry didn't answer, he only looked up at me with his green eyes and seemed more vulnerable than ever. "Harry." I took his hand. "Is there someone who haven't been treating you right and been angry with you when you've been sick?" Harry shrugged. "Darling, you can tell me. I will make sure I talk to someone about it…" At these words Harry's head shot up and panic shined through his eyes even though I could still see that he was trying to hide it.

"No Mrs. Weasley. No one's been treating me bad. I just didn't want you to be mad at me for messing up the bed and then waking you up. That was what I was sorry for. You can go back to bed Mrs. Weasley, I'm a lot better now I can…" Harry silent and then stuck his head down the bucket, a line of dry heaves wrenching his fragile body.

"Okay, okay." I started rubbing circles on his back and do my best to comfort him. "It's okay dear, just get it all out." It didn't last as long this time but it still felt like hours before Harry leaned his head down towards the edge on the budget and with a flick on my wand the vomit seemed to disappear into nowhere. "I'll get you some water."

Walking into the kitchen I couldn't let my gut feeling go. Just like that day almost eleven years ago I couldn't let go of the thought that someone wasn't treating Harry right. Maybe I shouldn't let it go this time either. Maybe I should go to Hogwarts before the term started and have another talk with Dumbledore, talk for real about what would be the best for Harry- because what I had said then still was true- I could deal with another one living in my house if it meant that he was safe. I would gladly have done it.

"Mrs. Weasley?" When I came walking back into the living room Harry lifted his head from the arm support of the sofa and looked with pale and weak eyes towards me. "You said earlier today that the good thing about magic is that it can fix almost anything." I almost knew the question already before it came, and it just played on my heartstrings.

"Can it fix this? And make me feel better?" Harry's green eyes were so pleading looking up at me I just wanted to tell him yes, not because it could because at this point it couldn't. And I couldn't put words on how badly I wanted to be able to tell him yes, almost only to see just a tiny little bit of hope shine there, but it would be selfish and close to cruel to trick him for myself to feel better.

"I'm afraid not honey. Maybe if you would have told me when you started feeling bad then I could have made a potion to fix it but when it have gone this far the only thing to do is to wait until it's passed. I'm sorry." I sat down on the edge of the sofa and Harry pressed himself up to sit up while I handed him the cup with water.

Harry took the cup, but barely had the time to sip from it before he dropped it, it fell to the floor with a bang. Water started floating around on the wooden floor and the cup rolled in under the sofa. Harry himself hunched over the bucket and I carefully placed a hand on his back and then slowly lifted the bucket up and placed it in between us so he wouldn't have to lean so far down.

Throwing up his guts earlier tonight Harry didn't have anything else left to bring up and was left hanging over the bucket with one painful dry heave after the other wrenching his fragile body. I stroke his back and did my best to comfort him but still felt so helpless I most of all just wanted to find a way for me to take all of this so Harry wouldn't have to.

With a flick of my wand I cleaned the bucket and then filled water in the cup again and handed it to Harry. The young boy fell asleep and after spreading a blanket over him I went up the stairs to fix the mess of Harry getting sick in bed. Ron was on his back and softly snoring when I came in and before I left the room I quickly pulled a hand over his forehead to check so he wasn't getting ill too.

I walked around the house and felt one forehead after the other checking so no one seemed to be getting ill too. Percy turned in his sleep, Ginny had as usual kicked her blanket off and I lifted it from the floor and spread it over her again. Fred and George laid in each of their beds-they're heads just by each other's, and Arthur was hugging a pillow- obviously hadn't realized it wasn't me yet.

I walked back into the living room and decided to start making some of the potion that would help if one of the others started feeling queasy and nauseas even though it was too late for it to help Harry. That young man had fallen asleep again and for the rest of the night he only woke up for one round with dry heaving after the other.

"Molly?" In the early morning, already before the sun had gone up I heard Arthur's voice as he came down the stairs and into the living room. "What's going on?" I looked away from the skies that were still dotted with stars and up at my husband that came slowly walking over and placed his hand on my back while frowning looking to the boy on the sofa.

"He got ill tonight. I woke up from hearing him throwing up tonight." I sighed and leaned my head back towards Arthur's shoulder. "Arthur, I don't think the Dursley's are treating him right. He get so afraid every time he thinks he's done something wrong. He's too shy and way too thin. Maybe I should talk about it with Dumbledore, maybe he'll give in if I have concrete proof on my beliefs, or actually get Harry to talk about it I don't know."

Arthur silent for a moment. "Molly…" He seemed unsure about what to say next. "I'm not saying you're wrong. But maybe… maybe it would be better to wait until Harry can at least… tell you himself what's going on. I trust your judgment… But I also trust Dumbledore and we both know that secrets can't be kept from him." My stomach clenched, Arthur was right but couldn't he just believe in me.

"I'll get some help from the ministry and we'll all keep an eye on Harry and the Dursley's okay? If something turns out not to be good for Harry then we'll take him right out of there." I nodded- at least it was something. "And after all, right now he's at Hogwarts at big parts of the year and we all know that's where he's safer than anywhere else."

Arthur had to go, he was going to work early, and once again I was left with standing by the window and watching the skies slowly light up lighter and lighter. And just as there were only a few stars still visible a light line pulled across the skies- a shooting star just like that night all of those years ago. And just like then I slowly closed my eyes and made a wish.

"Just help Harry. Just let him be safe and happy, and help him do what it takes to help himself." I whispered under my breath. I looked back at the boy again, he hadn't been sick for a few hours so the worst part was probably over by now. But so wasn't the hurting that was shining from Harry's eyes when he had looked up at me from the toilet bowl.

And I just couldn't get it out of my head.

And neither could I get our how Harry had looked at me so pleading when he asked me if magic could fix what was hurting him. How badly I had wanted to answer him yes just to see a tiny little bit of hope in all of the hurting in his eyes. Neither could I get out the tone in his voice when he had told me that everything with the Dursley's was fine.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry's tiny voice woke me up from my thoughts and I flinched and turned around to once again meet the clear green eyes with my bright brown. "I- I couldn't help to hear what you said to your husband." I walked over and sat down on the edge of the arm chair right by where Harry laid in the sofa.

"I…. I didn't mean to… to make you believe that there was something wrong with the way the Dursley's treating me. I really love them, and they really love me. They even gave me Dudley's old room." Harry hesitated. "Please don't talk to Dumbledore or someone about it…. They would get so sad if they thought that I acted like they didn't. And I don't want them to be sad."

"Harry, dear." I stroke his forehead and his hair, the temperature seemed to have gone down but he was still pale and clammy. "I… I just need you to answer one question for me. And I want you to tell me the truth." Harry nodded. "When you have done something bad, what do the Dursley's do for punishment then?"

Harry hesitated. "They just ground me." He said after the silence. "Please Mrs. Weasley, it's the truth, please don't tell anyone that they aren't treating me well because they are. I promise! So please don't…" I pressed my lips together and fought away my own feelings, I wanted to so badly believe in him. "Please, if they get sad then I will be sad too so please don't tell anyone that you don't believe they treat me well."

"I…" I hesitated. But when Harry looked up at me so pleading I just couldn't tell him no. "I promise. I won't talk to anyone." Harry relaxed and thanked before laying his head down on the pillow to sleep again and I softly started humming on a wizard lullaby seeming calm on the outside but with the feelings fighting against each other inside of me.

Those feelings would haunt me for years after, almost every time Harry, Hermione and all of my children came home from Hogwarts I would do anything for Harry's well- being but those feelings just wouldn't leave me alone and were still reminding me of that night with that scared little boy turning into a teenager.

But I just couldn't be another one to have broken my promise to him. I had a feeling so many had done already and that was a feeling I just couldn't push away. Therefore- no matter how much it haunted me I told Arthur I had probably just been paranoid, let Harry be when he wasn't a ours and it wasn't Christmas or his birthday.

Because I just couldn't be another one that he would refer to a broken promise

I just couldn't.

**So. That's kind of it. Well… I have been working on this since February, then I wrote like the first half or something, a bit less. And then I barely touched it until like last week. But so, it's finished. I hope you liked it. **

**Some things may be OOC- but come on- who are fully themselves having stomach flu? Not me at least ;) **

**Please let me know what you think if you'd like to take the time to. And as a last note as always- English is not my first language. **


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